Combustion turbine



July 16, 1929.

A. A. BONNARD El' AL.

COMBUSTION TURBINE Filed Sept. 6. 1921 Sheets-Sheet l )ffl/hand Bonnard l JOSe/Oh Taio-(e.

EKD. ,Mfw.

July 16, 1929,

A. A. BONNARD ET AL coMBUsTIoN TURBINE 4 2 Sheets-sheet 2 l ARMAND A. BQNNABD AND JOSEPH F. TA-PIE, OF SANTA BARBARA,

- TAIPIE ASBIGNOR TO SAID -BONNABIL Patented July 16, y19-2 9.

UNITED. STATE-s PATLE'NT carica.

cALIroRNIM sm y 4 COMBUSTION TUBINE.

Application led September 6, 1921.A Seerial No. 498,123.

^ ularly to a combustion turbine of the rotary type in which a cylinder is stationary while a 5 rotor bearing upon itsA outer surface is causedto rotate'thereabout due tothe impellin force o f the exhausted vapors from the cylin ers.

Among the salient objects of the invention are to provide a rotary combustion turbine 1Q o eratin somewhat similarly to the action is developed from the expansive force of t ev o a turbme motor in that the power or ener combustible charge exhausted from a cylinder; to provide an engine which is small and compact and one in which the power is generated by a rotary movementrather than a reciprocatory movement as is the general.

practice in internal combustion engines. n

In the drawin s:

Fig. 1 is a sectlonal side view of the engine with arts omitted and arts broken away. Fi 2 is an end elevatlon with parts in secl tion.

Referring 'in detail to the drawings, the engine cylinder 1 is boredfto accommodate the pistons 2, 3 and 4 which have a horizontal fitted ball bearings 8. These, bearings support the rotor 9, to which .are bolted the cams vand11.- i Y Describing now the operation4 of the respective pistons, the piston 2, which is fitted 1n the cylinder and has one or more spark'- plugs 12 screwed into tapped holes inthe pis-v ton,r is reciprocated by a connecting rod 13 which has a ball socket connection. with the lpiston and an adjustable connection 14 with y the rocker arm 15 sup orted by the block 16 n which is mounted on t e sideof the cylinder casting. Therockerarm 15 receives its rockmg motion from a push rod 17, which is biyiure-ated at both ends to accommodate the rollers 18 and 19, the former contacting the edge of the rocker arm and the latter the cam" 10 mounted on' the side of the rotor. "lhe rocker arm is kept in operating contact with theroller 18 by means of a spring 20. The piston 3 on the other-hand, operating I1n an opposite direction Sto; the piston 2, is similarly for the piston.

reciprocated by a connecting rod 21 throu liA a rockerarm 22 and a push rod 23 havingro lers operatmg on the rocker arm and cam 11 1n a .s imllar manner to those explained in connectlon with the operation of piston'2. Seated in the piston 3 are valves 24 and 25 which are caused to seat by the 'compression springs- 26and 27 and open by contacting with piston s 4 on its forward movement. The piston 4 is reciprocated in the cylinder just back of the piston 3by a rocker arm 28 pivoted at 29 and securing its rocking motion from a push rod 30 which is. given ahorizontal movement by the cam ring 11 upon which the roller 31 trav.- els. jA simllar roller 32at the opposite end of the pusli rod contacts the rocker arm and the assembly is held in contacting, relation or operable positionby the spring 33. An inlet port 34 permits the admission of-` as to the linder between thepistons 3 an 4, when e piston 4 has been reciprocated outwardly from the center of the piston chamber. v j

Centrally of the cylinder are bored outlet ports 35 which permit the escape of the exhaust gases into `the ports 36, which lead through the water jacket, the latter registerving withducts 37 in' the 'rotor which branch into sectional ducts 38 directing the exhaust vgases through the rotorLJ into the ducts 39 of 'the stationary portion surrounding the rotor,

the latter discharging the gases through said Describing the operation of the engine, the I combustible fuel 1n the 'form of vapor is drawn into the space between theypistons 3 and 4as the piston 4 is moved` outwardly toward theI end of the cylinder, thereby uncov- A i ering the port`34 and permittingthe combustible vapor to enter between the two pistons. 'It will be noted that theconnecting rod 21 extendsthrough the body of the piston 4 in a .pressure tight fittin roduced by contracting brass rings 44 w ich serve to prevent the escape of the pressure from the compartment between the pistons."

The rocker arm 28 is bifurcated to fit about 'the end of the piston, 4 and" is provided with slot shown at 45 to provide the pecessary play A and-caused to open, permitting the combus- 'tible charge to pass into themain piston chamber 46 of the cylinder. At the same tune, the piston 2 has moved inwardly, asslstmg 1n the compression of the gases just before thecharge is ignited by the spark plugs.12, the piston 4 has moved outwardly to permit the closing of the valves and the introduction of',Il

another charge through the inlet 34.

.It is understood, vof course, that the charge is introduced from any vdesired type ofl mixing valve and any number of v alves may be placed in the piston 3 in order to permit imthe proper time. Thepurpose of the piston 4 mediate ingress of thevapors to the combus.

tion chamber. With the explosion of the charge, the exhaust gases pass out through theexhaust ports 35 and into the power dehvering ports, thence to the outer moving and stationary vanes of the rotor and casing. It is essential that the gas intake port is a proper distance from the compression center of the cylinder and that the exhaust or power del1v.-

ering ports are positioned to register properly Awith the exhaust ports of the cylinder,

thereby delivering the power to the rotor at is to create the same vacuum as would be createdf in a reciprocating motor o'f the same size' as the combustion turbine onitsintake stroke. In addition to this, it compresses the gas taken in and holds it until it moves forf ward to aposition where the valves are open and the charge introduced tothe piston 'chamber. This ouble compressing of vthe gas will enable the'motor to have a completellly y t e economy offuel consumption. On one side of the rotor is bolted 'or otherwise. fixed a -Sprocket 47 from which may be run a silent chain A(not shown) which serves to' transmit the power from the' rotor to any desired vehicle or machine (not shown). A secondv sprocket 48 xed to the opposite side of the rotor urnishesa means for operating a second silent chain (not shown). vThe main roller bearings 8 should "be ysuliciently heavy to support theentire weight of the rotor and provision made for taking up the radial thrust by means of the adjusting rings'49.

The functionin of the machine after each explosion is as fo ows. The piston 4"on movin'g outwardly -to the end ofrits vacuum producing stroke draws ina charge of combustible gas ,in the .form of -vapor between the pistons 3 and- 4. l At the end of the outward movement of the piston 4, the piston 3 is practically at the end of its compression stroke.

These two pistons moving in opposite directions create the vacuum action vthat would be created in the full stroke of the common type of motor were there but one piston. .J ust at the end of the Vacuum producing stroke, the piston 4 uncovers the gas inlet port 34 and permits the intake of the combustible charge. The piston 4 then moves in an opposite direction or toward the piston chamber while the piston 3 is drawn toward it. Qlhis opposite movement of the twopistons first closes the inlet port and produces the first compression of the combustible gases. When almost at the end of their opposedmovements the piston 4 .contacts the valve v stems. 4and operating lagainst the valve spring'tension, permits the compressed gas to pass into the combustion chamber. In the meantime, piston 2 has" gone through substantially'the same operation as piston 3 except for the valve operation and at the same time substantially that the valves in the piston 3 started opening, the piston 2 opens the auxiliary exhaust ports 42. The

onrush of gases coming through piston 3 will 'force out any remaining exhaust gases from the combustion chamberthereby ermitting the ingress of a whole new combusti le charge.

Pisons 2 and 3 now .are caused to move toward each other in an opposed direction due to .the

cam, rocker varm and push rod arrangement explained and the nal compressionof the combustible charge takes place. When the hi h compression point is-reached, the charge is lgnited by the spark plugs in the piston 2 which are connected with a generator` and timing mechanismoperable to'cause the i-gni tion of the fuel charge at the proper instant.

The exhaust of the gases takes-place as ex-` plained through the ports and the energy expended through the .rotary and stationary ducts of the machine. The high parts of the cam rings 10 and 11 will extend for short inf tervals so as to hold the pistons 2 andv 3 stationary for the interval necessary to allow the expanding gas to be exhausted as follows.

Simultaneously with theexplosion in the combustion chamber, the power delivering. ports 35 which permit the gases to enter the ports 36 will be openedby registration with the ducts 37 of the rotor, thus giving an escape for the expanding gas. These gases continue through the vanes through the branch passages 38 where they strike the. fins 39 of the statlonary shell and rebound to the lins or vanes 40 of the rotor from whence they find complete exhaustionv to the atmosphere through the outside fins of the rotor 41. It is understood, ofcourse, that the pistons andthe compression piston 4, together with the -vanes y l of the rotor and the positioning of the timin cams. with their respective cross heads an push rodQrrangement, are such that the mech'- anism isoperated in timed relation so that 13.0

the intake and exhaust and the ignition of the charge together with the positioning of the pistons at the different cycles of operation are such that the machine will cause the rotor 5- to function smoothly at all times.

' We claimas our invention: 1. Ina combustion turbine, the combination with a cylinder having three reciprocating pistons therein, inlet and exhaust ports to 10 said cylinder of a' rotor driven by the expand-ing gases from the cylinder to open and close/the exhaust ports in the cylinder at predetermined intervals, means driven from the rotorl operating the central piston with one l5 .piston for introducing the charge to the cylinder and withrthe other` piston for compressing ignition.l y

2. ln a fcombustion turbine, the comloinal tion with a stationary cylinder having three 20.

and exhausting the expanding gases after reciprocatingpistons therein inlet and ex- 

